Winter 2004 Hiver

NATIONAL CAPITAL OPERA SOCIETY SOCIETE D'OPERA DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE

There were two stars at the 20th Anniversary celebration of thefounding of the National Capital Opera Society.

P.O. Box 8347, Main Terminal, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3H8 C.P. 8347, Succursale principale, Ottawa, (Ontario) K1G 3H8

Newsletter Bulletin

by Murray Kitts

20th ANNIVERSARY STARS

The first was Maria

Knapik who delighted the large

audience with a generous pro-

gram of operatic selections. Her

technical skill is very impressive.

But more thrilling is her ability to

present to the listener a real per-

son in a real situation singing about

something that really is important

to her. Each number was a mini-

performance and the audience loved it. Maria was as-

sisted at the piano by the excellent Judith Ginsberg and

in several of the numbers by flautist Thomas Brawn. The

program consisted of the familiar,

like the Song to the Moon from

Dvorak s RUSSALKA, to the unfamil-iar, like Mimis aria from

Leoncavallos LA BOHME. Im sureeveryone present had a favorite num-

ber; I was particularly bowled over

by the Siciliana from Verdis SICIL-IAN VESPERS, which opened the pro-gram, and never quite recovered

from that experience. Acting as mas-

ter of ceremonies we were fortunate

again to have Dave Stevens now at

the NewRO who introduced the op-

eratic numbers and urged those at-

tending to bid on the silent auction,

so important for our fund-raising.

The second star of the evening was Bobbi Cain.

Lets be honest. Without the dedication and endless work

of this seemingly tireless woman the National Capital Op-

era Society would not still be in

existence today. Despite her

struggles with ill health Bobbi has

always triumphed and brought the

society with her, serving as presi-

dent of our organization for most

of its history. All those who have

been contestants for the Brian Law

Scholarship, which she instituted,

know how indebted they are to

her. Of course Bobbi would be the

first to acknowledge the help of

many people. Sitting right beside

her was Gerda Ruckerbauer, one

of the longest serving members of

the Board and frequent contribu-

tor to our galas. Other former di-(continued on Page 3)

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

2

From the President . . . ATTENTION!!ALL NCOS MEMBERS

It is time to RENEW your membership for 2004!

The NCOS membership year runs from

January to December. Please fill in the en-

closed form and join us for another year of

musical activities!

Here we are at the beginning of winter and busy preparing for

all the festivities we enjoy over the holidays. Dont work too

hard and try to have an enjoyable and relaxing time.

What a marvelous time we had as many of us gathered to-

gether to celebrate our twentieth anniversary. November 14th

evening was a joyous night accentuated by a hip of beef in the

buffet and by the wonderful singing of our guest soprano, Maria

Knapik. Everyone enjoyed her beautiful work as she graced

us with sparkling selections from works by Verdi, Puccini,

Leoncavello, Moniuszko, Dvorak, Delibes and Lehar. Flau-

tist Thomas Brawn added appropriate highlights, and Judith

Ginsburg accompanied. What a fine party we all had!

With such happenings the future appears bright as we forge a

path towards a quarter of a century. We have so much to

look forward to as we continue our support of young opera

artists both in terms of our Brian Law Opera Scholarship and

our support of other opera activities such as the Opera Lyra

Young Artists Program. My grandson thought that Zeus and

his magic grapefruit was most enjoyable and very funny. What

a success that presentation was!

To you all may your holiday season enrich your life and

may those of you who love skating and skiing, etc., have a great time.

I hope to see you at our two films mentioned elsewhere.

Opera Alla Pasta Sunday Afternoon at the Opera

Tchaikovskys THE QUEEN OF SPADESKirov Opera production under Valery Gergiev

February 22, 2004

The performance starts at 2.00 P.M.at St. Anthonys Soccer Club Dinner follows. Reservations required: 225-0124

April 18, 2004

Verdis LA TRAVIATACovent Garden production under Sir Georg Solti

Note New Date for THE QUEEN OF SPADES

National Capital Opera SocietyBoard of Directors 2004

ExecutivePresident Bobbi Cain 225-0124

Vice-president Murray Kitts 830-9827

Secretary Jean Saldanha 731-2734

Treaurer Gordon Metcalfe 521-6759

CommitteesEvents Pat Adamo 729-8518

Peggy Pflug 1-679-1347

Membership Jean Saldanha 731-2734

Newsletter Murray Kitts 830-9827

Publicit Renate Chartrand 741-3290

Members at LargeDan Leeman 526-9764 Ute Davis 236-3736

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

3

20th Anniversaryrectors present were Marjorie Clegg, who

served as president for two years, Helen Mor-

gan, Lois Harper, and David and Shelagh Wil-

liams. All the present directors assisted includ-

ing treasurer Gordon Metcalfe, attending to

money matters, and Renate Chartrand and

Jean Saldanha looking after the silent auction.

Special thanks to Nora Patsouris for her con-

tribution. Dan Leeman had been there all day

helping Bobbi. I think Bobbis proudest mo-

ment came when her grandson, Wesley, pre-

sented flowers to the artists.

So that was it some wonderful music,

excellent food and a little nostalgia for some of

us. A great way to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

(continued from Page 1)

Rossinis Petite messe solennelle was performed at St.

Mathews Anglican Church on the evening of Decem-

ber 7, 2003. It proved to be a special night! Rossini

gained fame as an opera composer but he might be equally

famous for abruptly retiring when he had reached the pin-

nacle of his success and was unquestionably the dominant fig-

ure in the opera world. He composed no other operatic works

after he completed WILLIAM TELL, (his 39th opera) in 1829.He was 37 at the time. He lived the life of leisure until his death

some 40 years later and, although he did compose a number of

musical pieces, none were operas. The most noted of his post-

operatic compositions were religious in nature and his supreme

achievement among these later works is the PETITE MESSE

SOLENNELLE. It was composed when he was 71 years old. It

has been said that it is neither little nor solemn nor particu-

larly liturgical. However, it is a Mass and it definitely is Rossini

as it contains some of the most melodious music that only

Rossini could write. In fact, he seemed incapable of writing any-

thing that did not abound with beautiful melodies.

The PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE was originally composedfor 12 voices, two pianos and harmonium. Rossini later orches-

trated the work and it has been performed in many variations

through the years. At St. Mathews the accompaniment was

provided by a piano and an organ. This worked very well. Rather

than 12 voices a choir and four soloists supplied the vocals. The

University of Ottawa Choir was superb as were the soloists.

The soloists were Maria Knapik, soprano; Julie Nesrallah, mezzo

soprano; Pascal Charbonneau, tenor and Luc Lalonde, bari-

tone. The whole ensemble was expertly directed by Laurence

Ewashko. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic reaction of the ca-

pacity audience matched the mood of the piece itself. It was a

joyous success.

What made this evening particularly special was

the fact that all four soloists were former participants in

the Brian Law Opera Competition sponsored by NCOS.

Here was proof of how valuable all our efforts raising

money and holding competitions have been in fostering

the careers of talented singers.

Rossini Mass at St. Mathews

Photos by Klaus Siemsen

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

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Could we be in the midst of a new Massenet revival? Its

been quite a few years that Joan Sutherland was

featured in some of Massenets really grand

operas la Meyerbeer like LE ROI DE LAHOREand ESCLARMONDE. But these are operas whoseeffectiveness depends to a large extent on

elaborate stagings and huge casts not the

type of opera that producers are looking

for these days.

It was a great treat for me to see

my first performance of THAS recentlyin Montreal, a company premire. The

co-production by the Opra de Montral

and Opera Theater of Saint Louis presented

a simple, yet very effective, staging. Inside the

proscenium arch was another arch, like the outline

of a giant eye, with hieroglyphs imposed on it. This clearly

established the setting and remained the frame for all 3 acts

of the opera. To indicate changes in scene, even changes in

mood and intensity of feeling, lighting of all sorts of colours

and combinations appeared on the backdrop. Rarely has a

lighting designer been able to make such an enormous con-

tribution to a theatrical performance as Guy Simard did in

this production.

The playing of the Orchestre symphonique de

Montral under Bernard Labadie did full justice to

Massenets beautiful score; the famous Meditation be-

ing given a superb performance. I always find the chorus

in Montreal a little small but, as usual, they performed

quite well.

In a way this is a two singer opera; however, the

supporting cast was quite good. Hlne Guilmette and

Ariana Chris were particularly charming as the two slave

girls. Paul Charles Clarke handled the tenor rle of Nicias

quite well. The only disappointment was Gregory

Atkinson as Palmon.

This brings us to the two principals. Having seen

and heard Gaetan Laperrire in a number of quite de-

manding parts I was anticipating a well-sung, rather stogy

performance as Athanal and in this I was not disap-

pointed. Lyne Fortin is an excellent singer and actress

but somehow only at times did her characterization really

take hold. Perhaps Im just too used to the recordings of

superstars like Beverly Sills and Sherrill Milnes and more

recently Rene Fleming and Thomas Hampson to give

these performers on stage a fair hearing.

In some ways the staging by Renaud Doucet did

not help the principals. For example, there was so much

stage action at the entrance of Thas that it spoiled the im-

MAGNIFICENT MASSENET

Jules

Massenet

by Murray Kitts

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

5

pression she should have made. There was so

much groping going on that one wondered whether

the monk and the courtesan would wind up the

only straight heterosexual couple in Alexandria.

Athanal covers his monks robes with a garment

but leaves exposed a large cross on his chest.

This rather removes the surprise when he reveals

himself as a monk to Thas. Distractions like these

subtract from the enjoyment of individual perfor-

mances. Still the final scene was most moving

opera at its best.

A new DVD from TDK presents

MANON in a new production recorded in June2001at the Opra Bastille, Paris. Im happy to

report that this production relies mainly on light-

ing, with a minimum of sets, to present the nu-

merous scenes in the opera. Nothing distracts

from the performances of the two principals.

Of course Rene Fleming does not look like a

sixteen year old but who cares. She is beau-

tiful and charming and sings like an angel. The

Chevalier des Grieux is sung by the new tenor

sensation Marcelo Alvarez who seems to be

ideal for the part. The supporting cast is excel-

lent, especially the veteran Michel Snchal as

Guillot de Montfortaine. The Chorus and Or-

chestra of the Opra National de Paris are con-

ducted splendidly by Jesus Lopez-Cobos. Im

sure that this will be a popular favorite and will encourage other productions like it.

There are many operas by Massenet that I would

love to see the wonderful comedies CENDRILLON andCHRUBIN, the heroic LE CID, the great DON QUICHOTTE,and the miracle play LE JONGLEUR DE NOTRE-DAME. All ofthese have excellent recordings but to be able to see them

would be a much greater experience. I expect the next cur-

rent DVD of a Massenet opera will be the one that is cur-

rently being sung at the Met WERTHER. My hope is thatthese performances will bring a new enthusiasm for Massenets

lesser- known operas.

Incidentally, in doing some research on Massenet on

the internet I discovered that the chorus called Les Disciples

de Massenet are still giving concerts and have a proud his-

tory of performing with oustanding musicians and orchestras.

Going back almost to my childhood days listening to the CBC

I remember that the performance of O Canada by this choir

was the most stirring I have ever heard.

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

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If somebody were taking a poll and asked me who was the

most intriguing person in opera, I would cast my vote not

for Fleming, Heppner, Pavarotti or one of those famous

personalities, but for Donna Leon. So, who is Donna Leon?

She is the impresario of an opera company in Venice, Il

Complesso Barocco, that stages obscure Baroque operas.

She is particularly partial to the works of Handel. Now anyone

who manages an opera company knows that balancing the books

is a near impossible task. What if you were staging not Carmenor La Bohme but obscure Baroque operas? However, theopera company has enjoyed success in Venice. But it is in

Germany and German-speaking countries where Il

Complesso Barocco has experienced tremendous popular-

ity. In addition to her management responsibilities Ms. Leon

has also written a libretto for a comic opera that was so prom-

ising that it influenced the legendary German mezzo-soprano,

Brigitte Fassbaender, to come out of retirement to sing one of

the roles and to direct the opera. The opera, Dona Gallino, was agreat success when it was staged in Innsbruck. Despite the popularity

of the productions, and increasing CD sales, finances have remained a

challenge for the company. Consequently, it not surprising that Ms.

Leon has other jobs that allow her to indulge her passion for opera.

Donna Leon is a teacher, an English literature profes-

sor, whose specialty is 19th century novelists. She teaches for

the University of Maryland Extension Department in Italy,

which serves the military and their families stationed at the

large N. A.T. O. base at Aviano and the U.S. military base at

Vincenza. Both are near Venice. Ms. Leon, a New Jersey

native, has taught in places such as Switzerland, Iran, China

and Saudi Arabia. But Venice is the place where she has

found a home. She has been there for over 20 years and, now

as the owner of a recently purchased Venetian apartment, will

probably never leave. This is true even though she has to climb

62 steps to reach her front door. Her passion for Venice is as

apparent as her love of opera and literature.

More importantly, especially in terms of income, Donna

Leon is also the writer of murder mysteries. This aspect of her

career came about entirely by accident. One evening in 1990

at La Fenice, the fabled opera house in Venice, Ms. Leon and

a friend were discussing their mutual dislike of a famous con-

ductor. The decision was made to kill him off. Although she

refuses to identify him, he was a brilliant, arrogant maestro

with a reputation as a serial womanizer and a background that

resulted in him being suspected as a Nazi sympathizer. He also

happened to be the most renowned conductor of his time. Guess

Who Is Donna Leon? byTom McCoolwho! He became the victim in Leons first book, Death at La

Fenice, when he was poisoned during an intermission of LaTraviata in a performance that he was conducting. Since thattime she has written 12 more murder mysteries, one a year. Not

surprisingly, opera seeps into many of the plots. All take place in

Venice and all feature Commisario Guido Brunetti. Brunetti, al-

though he has a necessary hard edge, is undoubtedly the most

likeable of detectives. He is a very human down-to-earth family

man with a wife and two teenage children who live in a Venetian

apartment that can be reached by climbing 62 steps. His wife,

the feisty Paolo, is a university literature professor who enjoys

nothing more than having the time to read a Henry James novel.

This also happens to be one of Ms. Leons abiding pleasures.

Not unexpectedly for someone who writes about mur-

der, corruption and other assorted forms of mayhem Ms. Leon

has a definite dark outlook on life. It has been said of her in

reference to her connection with Venice: She came, she stayed

and then she started killing people. Although she claims that

she knows little about crime she does write with surprising au-

thority. What makes this even more ironic is that Venice is a

relatively crime-free city. Except in Leons novels! Perhaps her

opera background explains this.

A most appealing aspect of these novels is the cast of

minor characters who appear in most of the books. Although

they do not play a major part in any one book they give a sense

of continuity to the series. Best of all is the description of the

domestic dynamics of Brunettis family. Also of interest is

Brunettis strained relationship with his blockheaded superior,

Signor Patta, and his much more congenial rapport with Pattas

secretary, the captivating Signorina Elletra.

Donna Leons books have been spectacularly success-

ful. They have been translated into more than 20 languages.

(Oddly, Italian is not one of those.) The books are most popular

in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Many of the titles have

been made into specials for German television. In the United

States, where she has just recently acquired a publisher, she has

a devoted and growing following that delights in the practice of

reading the next title in manuscript before it is published. Many

have already read the 13th title (Doctored Evidence) which is

not scheduled for publication until later this year.

All 12 of Ms. Leons published books are available at

the Ottawa Public Library. Even if you dont like murder mys-

teries, you could like these. For sure, you will like Commisario

Guido Brunetti. Furthermore, there is a wealth of information on

Donna Leon and her books on the Internet.

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERATEXACO-METROPOLITAN OPERA RADIO BROADCAST SEASON

2004 SCHEDULE

Definitely the OperaJanuary 20 Mozart's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGAROFebruary 10 Puccini's TURANDOTMarch 9 Strauss' DER ROSENKAVALIER

Opera InsightsMarch 16 Verdi's Rigoletto

All performances begin at 7 pm at the National Library

Opera Lyra Ottawa Guild

Additional Information: www.operalyra.ca

January 10 Jules Massenet Werther 1:30

January 17 Franz Lehr The Merry Widow 1:30

January 24 Giacomo Puccini Madama Butterfly 1:30

January 31 Modest Mussorgsky Boris Godunov 1:00

February 7 Giuseppe Verdi Rigoletto 1:30

February 14 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Queen of Spades 1:30

February 21 Igor Stravinsky Stravinsky

Le Sacre du Printemps Le Rossignol Oedipus Rex 1:30

February 28 Gioachino Rossini LItaliana in Algeri 1:30

March 6 Giuseppe Verdi La Traviata 1:30

March 13 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Don Giovanni 1:30

March 20 Richard Wagner Das Rheingold 1:30

March 27 Richard Strauss Salome 1:30

April 3 Richard Wagner Die Walkre 12:30

April 10 Giuseppe Verdi Nabucco 1:30

April 17 Richard Wagner Siegfried 12:00

April 24 Richard Wagner Gtterdmmerung 12:00

Winter 2004 NEWSLETTER BULLETIN Hiver 2004

8

Opera Within Reach

Information: 1-866-322-0456 www.royaloperacanada.com

CentreTHOMAS HAMPSON Feb 15

SUSAN GRAHAM Feb18 & 19

THE CREATION March 10 & 11

MONTRALOTTAWA LOpra de Montral National Arts

Information: 947-7000 www.nac-cna.ca

Information:233-9200 www.operalyra.ca

Black & White Opera Soire Feb 17, 2001

RIGOLETTO April 13, 15, 17 & 20

Opera LyraOttawa

CentrepointeTheatre

Orpheus Society

JOHNNY BELINDA FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 1-9

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN JUNE 4 -12

Information:727-6650 www.orpheus-theatre.on.ca

LA BOHEME by Puccini

Jan 31 Feb 5, 7, 9, 11, & 14

BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE by Bartok &

ERWARTUNG by Schoenberg

March 13, 18, 29, 24, & 27

THE MERRY WIDOW by Lehar

May 29 June 3,5,7,9 & 12

Information:1-514-985-2258 www.operademontreal.com

TORONTO

THE MIKADO April 12-20

Information: 825-5855 www.savoysociety.org

Savoy Society

The Magic Flute by Mozart

February, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26 & 28

March 2, 4, 6, 11 & 13

The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan

March 9, 19 & 11

Royal Opera CanadaInformation:1-800-250-4653 www.coc.ca

FALSTAFF by Verdi

Jan 22, 25, 27, 30 Feb 4 & 7

TURANDOT by Puccini

Jan 21, 24, 29 Feb 1, 3 & 6

RIGOLETTO by Verdi

April 7, 10, 13, 16, 18, 22 & 24

DIE WALKURE by Wagner

April 4, 8, 14, 17, 20 & 23

Canadian Opera Company